Dutchdear's Diary

Wow, Facebook...

2010-05-04T12:08:00.000-04:00

So basically, you're using facebook for free, and you don't know that they're sharing all of your personal information with the web for money, whether your privacy settings are "Friends Only" or not. Read on:

Facebook to Share Your Info for Money

MINNEAPOLIS - Facebook is now sharing your personal profile information with third parties. For now, it's just a few web sites, like the music site Pandora, and the consumer review site, Yelp.

Facebook is automatically sharing that information, without your consent. If you don't want to share, you have to opt out.

University of Minnesota law professor and privacy expert Bill McGevern says it's an important line in the sand. And for Facebook, with 600 million users, the stakes are high.

“Facebook is trying over and over to get this shared so Facebook becomes the center of the web,” said McGevern.

Facebook want to make money by selling user information.

Last week, Facebook announced new features designed to unlock more of the data accumulated about its users during its six-year history. The senators said the recent changes by Facebook fundamentally alter the relationship between users and the social networking site. Before the change, users had control over what information they wished to share publicly and what information they wanted to keep private.

Among other things, Facebook is plugging into other websites so people can communicate their interests with friends, colleagues and acquaintances online. Facebook also changed its own website to create more pages where users' biographical information could be exposed to a wider audience.

In a statement, Facebook said, "these new products and features are designed to enhance personalization and promote social activity. All of Facebook’s partner sites interact with a user’s consent."

To opt out of Facebook’s new profile sharing is a multiple step process:

STEP 1: Go to the “Privacy Settings.” Go to “Applications and Web Sites.” Then go to “Instant Personalization Pilot Program,” and hit edit settings.

STEP 2: For all users there’s an automatic check in the box below, which allows Facebook to share your information with other web sites. You are automatically “opted in.” If you do not wish to share this information, uncheck the box.

STEP 3: Even after you’ve done this, it is not clear whether you need to “opt out” at the sites where Facebook is intending to share your information, like Pandora and Yelp, and soon many more sites. So you will want to look at the upper left hand corner of those sites to see whether those sites are recognizing your Facebook account and activity. Here again, you need to opt out.

But a word of caution, as Facebook concedes, your information may still be shared through your friends accounts, unless you block the application from these web sites.

Facebook, apparently responding to Congressional pressure, has already made some changes to this “Instant Personalization Pilot Program,” so you may want to periodically check back in to adjust your settings.

Courtesy of http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/facebook-to-share-your-info-for-money-april-27-2010

Psalm 2010

2010-04-14T10:17:00.000-04:00

I hope you get as big a kick out of this as I did!!

Psalm 2010-
Obama is the shepherd I did not want.

He leadeth me beside the still factories.

He restoreth my faith in the Republican party.

He guideth me in the path of unemployment for his party's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the bread line,

I shall fear no hunger, for his bailouts are with me.

He has anointed my income with taxes,

My expenses runneth over.

Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will live in a mortgaged home forever.

I am glad I am American,

I am glad that I am free.

But I wish I was a dog .....

And Obama was a tree.

Justice and The Oresteia

2010-04-13T18:28:00.002-04:00

Throughout the trilogy The Oresteia by Aeschylus, the ineffective judicial system of Greece begins a steady downfall. The first book reports the starting points for the bloodguilt process, and the second continues the cycle, while the third finally ends it. Greece became a restored, civilized country without constant rage. The retaliatory murders of the first two stories eventually regress into a true system of justice before a court, which removes the sense of utter chaos.

Agamemnon, the first book in the series, explains to readers that King Agamemnon murdered his daughter in order to please the gods. Clytemnestra, his wife and the mother of the child, in turn killed Agamemnon for his actions. As the author writes, “Ancient Violence longs to breed. New violence comes. When its fatal hour comes, the demon comes to take her toll. No war, no force, no prayer can hinder the midnight Fury stamped” (Agamemnon 750-754). Clytemnestra may not have known, but she began the cycle of bloodguilt in the series, which ancient Greece considered justice.

By the second book, dubbed Libation Bearers, Orestes, son of Agamemnon, returns to his father’s grave and decides to take revenge. His emotions running high and Apollo urging him on, Orestes slew his mother and her lover without a second thought. According to the judicial system of the day, Clytemnestra’s actions left Orestes with the responsibility of murdering her. When he did so, he felt an overwhelming sorrow take over him. He cried, “I must escape this blood… it is my own” (Libation Bearers 1036). Orestes clearly understood that such an act would haunt him. The extinguishers of the unjust, called Furies, then began to pursue Orestes and he fled, begging goddess Athena to judge him.

In the third and final book, The Eumenides, the Furies continue to chase Orestes, who still begs Athena, goddess of wisdom, for her help and judgment. The apparently unending cycle of doom vanishes when Athena holds a court with the Furies. She assuages their anger over Orestes’ unjust actions and restores order to Greece, as opposed to the complete chaos of bloodguilt. Athena broke the unending circle of bloodguilt by announcing, “The man goes free, cleared of the charge of blood. The lots are equal” (Eumenides 767-768). No longer would Orestes need to constantly beware that he deserved revenge, because Athena granted him grace and forgave him, thus ending the bloodshed.

The absurd idea that nothing washes away blood except for more blood withers and dies when Athena resides over her court. Before the discovery of a fair trial, Athens withered in uncivilized, animalistic retaliatory murder. Such a system never benefited anyone, as the circle of doom did not end. By finally breaking the spell of bloodshed and instituting a new form of justice, Athena allowed Greece to become civil, orderly and upright once more, instead of chaotic, horrifying and bloody.

Alphabetical Analyzation

2010-04-09T08:50:00.000-04:00

Uhh... my favorite A songs.

A Breath In The Eyes of Eternity- As I Lay Dying
Aint Gonna Hurt Nobody- Brick
Arab Money- Busta Rhymes
Air Hostess- Busted
All-American Girl- Carrie Underwood
All I'm Asking- Chasing Eden
ABC- Chris Brown
Acoustic Lady- Earl Klugh
Agape- For Today
Autumn- Haste The Day
Anybody- Jesse McCartney
Annie's Song- John Denver
Already Gone- Kelly Clarkson
Another One Bites The Dust- Queen
Already Over- Red
Angel- Sarah McLachlan
Alive and Kicking- Simple Minds
Ask Me How I Am- Snow Patrol
A Thousand Miles- Vanessa Carlton

Welcome To The USSA

2010-03-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

I've been a Glenn Beck fan for years. I always liked him. I always like Sean Hannity. I think they both make good points. They both tell the unheardof truth. With this whole health care bill', I've studied their every word. Yesterday, the Obamacare bill passed.

Okay. So let's look at our new America:
*Doctors will be losing their jobs, because this is really going to socialize medicine.
*Medicine is already fairly socialized, thanks to Medicare and Medicaid, which have raised the prices of healthcare.
*Government owns out productive capacity.
*Say Doctors. They're productive because they help people get healthy. But, now that healthcare has been completely "reformed", Doctors that own private practices won't be here anymore. They'll have to work in a hospital because that's the only way to get a little money. So therefore, the government controls where/how they work. Fabulous.
*I'm pro-life. But now, despite not believing in abortion, I have to pay for it.
*Despite being a citizen in a "free" country with "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", if I choose to own a different kind of health insurance, I get fined by Obama because he wants to control me.
*Fascism. Want a definition? Fascism means that the government gives the pretense of ownership. People think and feel like they own their house or horses or whatever, but the government really controls that, and controls your productive capacity. We're owned by the government. We're slaves to the state.

Now note that I'm not saying America is communist quite yet, but it's going down that road. Communism is "Okay, you don't own this, the government does. You don't own anything, you know you don't own anything, and you give your products to the government". We're not Nazi, either. Nazism would be "You can't produce? You're too old? Tough crap. You're dead". No, people. It's fascism.

If government healthcare stays, we can expect prenatal screenings on pregnant women to determine if the baby has any handicap, any genetic disorder that might make the government spend money on it later in life or inhibit production. Next comes forced abortion on those women with babies who are not "perfect" and up to the government's standards. And next, the Seniors go. They're done producing. They have health problems. Do they benefit the government greatly? Uhh, no. Sorry Seniors, you're next. You cost too much.

How can we turn the system around? Three ways.
*Sue the government. Unlikely.
*Overule Obama's veto next term with House/Senate Republicans. Unlikely.
*Anti-Obamacare president next term repeal the bill. Also Unlikely.

The chances of any of these happening and working is about 1 in 100.

Did you know that the statistics state that 40% of people (not citizens. PEOPLE. Illegals count!) receive more from the government than they give? Yup. That means, because after graduation, I'll make about $300,000 a year as an ER physician, I have to pay extra so that the government can give my money to people who don't pay anything. Or do anything. They don't produce. But they get money. For not producing. Okay...

I'd like to challenge you to look up the 10th Amendment. Google called one of the hottest searches at 12:30pm today. You know why? Because it clearly states that this is not the government's right. Obama can't make me choose his way and fine me if I don't want too. He can't make me pay for other people's extras. That's not his right.

I mention the USSA in my title. It's true. Welcome to the United Socialist States of America.

In other words, kiss freedom goodbye.

Plato's Non-Apology

2010-03-17T21:25:00.000-04:00

In all, Plato’s famous Apology is not an apology at all. Rather, Socrates tries to defend himself against arguments in order to keep himself from being hated. The entirety of the writing is Socrates coming before the jury and defending his actions and questioning those who brought him before the court. In the end, Socrates claims that he deserved no punishment and rather honor, which truly supports the face that Plato’s Apology was no apology at all.

Readers- I apologize for posting so many papers and historical documents. In my world, writing essays and research papers and pseudo-dissertations takes more time than blogging, so I'm posting just to update. Hopefully it helps a bit! :-)

Blood of the Libation Bearers

2010-03-17T21:18:00.002-04:00

The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus recounts the tale of Orestes, Electra and Clytemnestra after the death of King Agamemnon. Throughout this tale, the traumatizing theme of blood weaves a pattern. The bloodguilt of Agamemnon continues to appear in Libation Bearers. The cycle has not yet ended. Orestes returned from his exile, furious about his father’s murder and eager to take revenge, and pays the price for it.

Orestes entered his country from exile after his father's murder. When he fell to his knees beside Agamemnon's grave, knowing full well Clytemnestra, his own mother, took the life, he cried, "dear god, let me avenge my father's murder- fight beside me now with all your might!" This began Orestes' obsession with blood that continues all through Libation Bearers. At that time, he turns his fury on his mother and plots her death.

When Clytemnestra took Agamemnon’s life in return for that of her daughter, Orestes felt the weight of his duty to take revenge. The son of the late king, Orestes murders Clytemnestra. He attempts to justify this by explaining, “when the day of judgment comes, that I pursued this bloody death with justice, my mother’s death” (979-981). Because of his thirst for blood in avenging his father's death, Orestes continued the cycle of Greek justice called bloodguilt. This lead to his own anxiety and downfall.

By the end of Libation Bearers, Orestes runs out frightened for his life. According to the author, Clytemnestra's blood soaked into the earth and called out for revenge. Orestes counters this, before taking flight. "I must escape this blood... it is my own. Must turn towards his hearth, none but his, the Prophet God decreed...the hounds of mother's hate!" (1036-1038, 1053-1054). Following these comments, the Leader suggests "The blood's still wet on your hands. It puts a kind of frenzy in you..." (1055-1056). Surely it did. Because of his lust for blood, Orestes awakened the revenge of Clytemnestra's death. He cries, "Here they come, thick and fast, their eyes dripping hate..." (1057-1058). These are the Furies. Though not evil themselves, they avenge bloodshed. When Orestes took his mother's life, the Furies began to find his tracks by the blood and chase him down.

While not the same in Libation Bearers, blood and bloodguilt both play a large role. Because of the murder of Agamemnon's daughter, Clytemnestra killed him. Therefore, Orestes, the son, took her life. His lust for blood in the circle of bloodguilt hurt him greatly. The next to take revenge, the Furies, know no boundaries, as their job remains to extinguish murderers. After returning to his home, Orestes found his father dead, blood on his mother's hands, and killed her, not realizing that the judicial system involving lust of blood did not end with him.

Agamemnon's Bloodguilt

2010-03-16T15:55:00.001-04:00

Through the many pages of the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, one theme repeats itself consistently. Bloodguilt, or avenging someone or something by returning the wrongdoing, resonates all the way through Agamemnon. What the Bible calls "returning evil for evil", the Greek government of that day encouraged it as real justice. Not claiming such brutal revenge in Greece at the time proved unjust, and the play Agamemnon follows this trend in many instances.

When King Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to the gods in order to stop wind, he greatly enraged his wife, Clytemnestra. Author Aeschylus reports, "A father's hands are stained, blood of a young girl streaks the altar. Pain both ways and what is worse? Desert the fleets, fail the alliance? No, but stop the winds with a virgin's blood, feed their lust, their fury? Feed their fury! Law is law! Let all go well" (210-215). Agamemnon’s murder of Iphigenia became his attempt appease the gods, but as the writer claims, "Justice turns the balance scales, sees what we suffer and we suffer and we learn" (249-251). In order to maintain his kingdom, Agamemnon completed this task. Wife Clytemnestra disagrees, and resorts to taking revenge.

Because Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, revenge awaited for him around every corner. Because of the immediate blood relation, it fell to Clytemnestra to avenge Iphigenia's murder. In order to keep with the proper protocol of maintaining justice, Clytemnestra plans her revenge. She says, "He sacrificed his own child, our daughter, the agony I laboured into love to charm away the savage winds of Thrace. Didn't the law demand you banish him? ...I'll meet you blow for blow. And if I fall the throne is yours" (1440-1450). When she brutally ended Agamemnon’s life, finally taking her revenge, she exulted, "I brooded on this trial, this ancient blood feud year by year. At last my hour came . Here I stand and here I struck and here my work is done. I did it all. I don't deny it, no. He had no way to flee or fight his destiny" (1396-1400). Just as Greece claimed that bloodguilt equaled justice, Clytemnestra exhorted that her revenge, taking Agamemnon's life in return for Iphigenia's, fulfilled his destiny, since he committed the murder.

The cycle of bloodguilt does not end there. Because of this completely skewed system of justice, revenge continues to take place. Because Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon as revenge for his sacrifice of Iphigenia, son Orestes now holds the right to avenge his father's death. As Cassandra, Agamemnon's lover, foretold, "There will come another to avenge us, born to kill his mother, born his father's champion. A wanderer, a fugitive driven off his native land, he will come home to cope the stones of hate that menace all he loves. The gods have sworn a monumental oath: as his father lies upon the ground he draws him home with power like a prayer" (1302-1308). This judicial system allows the cycle of vengeance to continue with each death. Orestes now takes the ability to kill his father's killer: his own mother.

The story of Agamemnon records brutal killing with the excuse of revenge. According to the Greek judicial system, bloodguilt was encouraged, even required, to avenge death, injury or anything else. This theme thoroughly displays itself in the Greek play Agamemnon. The problem with this idea remains. The circle of murder as a form of vengeance never ends once it begins. To fix this problem, the Greeks must not return wrong for wrong and call it justice, but handle such problems more properly and less unfairly and murderously.

In The Pain, Is There Healing?

2010-03-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

Today I'm starting a new series of posts. Once a week, starting with the letter A and going to Z, I'm going to post a list of songs starting with that letter. To kick it off, I wanted to write out a list of songs about Self-Injury and Depression, because it seems to be a main topic in our culture these days. It's a huge problem. I've dealt with it and my playlist of songs is quite large! Let me share it with you (in no particular order!).

Pain- Three Days Grace
You Found Me- The Fray
Everything- Lifehouse
Let It Die- Three Days Grace
Torniquet- Evenescence
Bring Me To Life- Evenescence
The Way She Feels- Between The Trees
Strawberry Gashes- Jack Off Jill
Breaking The Habit- Linkin Park
She Talks To Angels- Black Crowes
Part Of Me- Linkin Park
Savior- Skillet
Emotionless- Good Charlotte
If Everyone Cared- Nickelback
Cry- Rihanna
Bleed Like Me- Garbage
Can't Be Saved- Senses Fail
Hurt- Nine Inch Nails
Last Night- Skillet
Dead Inside- Skillet
The Loss- Hollywood Undead

And my favorite songs ever that I listened to every day during my battle with self-injury:
Far Away- Nickelback
Broken- Lifehouse

I'm excited about the new posting series, really! Oh, and be sure to follow me on Twitter!! ---> see sidebar for address.

The Heart Of Worship

2010-03-04T11:27:00.001-05:00

I found this-

a sharpee illustration of the song 'Heart of Worship'.

I think its really illustrates how, in order to become beautiful, we must be broken. The simplicity of this art is somehow beautiful. It demonstrates how God doesn't expect us to be an expert, absolutely perfect, ingeniusly smart, beautiful or important. He wants us to be simple, so He Himself can make us beautiful.

I'm Sorry, Apple. I'm Sorry You Suck!

2010-03-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

I love my iPod. I love it very, very much. I have a 120G iPod Classic that can hold so much data it's not even funny. Usually I get all my stuff off of Limewire, but today I felt awfully philanthropic and logged onto my iTunes Store.
I really enjoy watching movies to break the monotony of collegiate studying concerning medicine and such. This week my class is working through the Circulatory System, which I find so fascinating that I can almost get slightly obsessive... until I watch a movie. I truly am the starving college student who has little money, due to paying and enrolling in medical school. That being said, all my movies in my apartment have been watched, rewatched, worn out, and butchered for the many times I've seen them all.
So back to iTunes. I log on, and look up some movies that I'd like to see. So I begin spending $2.99 on renting some movies 1) because they're cheaper than buying movies for $9.99 and 2) because I probably won't want to watch them again. As they download onto my ancient laptop, I whip out my textbook and count off a few terms relating to the Circulatory System. Capillary... A-V Valve... Systole... Inferior Vena Cava... Sphygmomanometer...
Finally the download finishes so I plug in my beloved iPod (named Braxton!) to my laptop, trusting the videos to download, and turn back to my book. Superior Vena Cava... Coronary Circulation... Diastole... I look back at the computer. It says "iPod sync is complete". I'm excited. I can feel the terminology and definitions flying through my head, and so I plug in my earphones, lay back against my bed and search through the movie list.
And... there's nothing new there.
Crap.
So I plug it back in and make sure that it is loading this time. It says that it is syncing, so I leave it alone. Once again, no new videos appear on my list. I checked the Apple.com forums where I learned that rented videos do not download onto any iPods.
Are you freakin kidding me?
Why did I spend $300 on a video iPod with huge memory? So I could put videos on it! And rented ones, too. No wonder they charge $2.99. It's not even worth that.
After flying into a rage and practically informing my whole apartment complex of my situation through my excessively loud irritation, I sat down again before my tank of a laptop and open up the Rented Movies list. They're all there. So I click on them, because I rented these movies and I want to freaking watch them. I only have about half-an-hour before studygroup, though, and tomorrow is awfully busy, so these may have to wait for the weekend. After all, on the top of the page it says "Movie Rented For 29 Days and 39 Minutes". I have plenty of time to watch all of these. Yeah, right.
Anyway, I click on it, and a screen pops up. "You have 24 hours to watch this movie".
Apple, I hate you.

Paper Fails

2010-02-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

I understand how scissors can beat paper, and I get how a rock can beat scissors, but there is no flippping wayy paper can beat rock. Is paper supposed to magically wrap around rock and leave it immobile? Why the heck can't paper do this to scissors? Forget scissors! Why can't paper do this to people? Why aren't sheets of college ruled notebook paper constantly suffocating students as they take notes in class? I'll tell you why, because paper can't beat anybody! A rock would tear that stuff up in 2 seconds! When I play rock, paper, scissors; I always choose rock. Then, when someone claims to have beaten me with thier paper, I can punch them in the face with my already clenched fist and say: "Ohh, shoot! I'm sorry! I thought paper would protect you, you nicompoop!"

Now despite my slightly Nazi ideology and possession of Hitler's bloodline, I do enjoy the above photo ;)

Best. Commercial. Ever.

2010-02-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

I'm a die-hard Patriots fan, so last night I didn't much care who won. I perfered the Saints to win because the Colts whipped on the Patriots so hard in the past few years. But... I really didn't care.

The highlight of my entire night was sitting with my best friend and our boyfriends in front of a plazma TV, watching the most hilarious commercial ever. The boy reminded me of my therapist's nephew Andre, and I busted up laughing. If you didn't get to see it, please watch it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Beware: Census 2010 Scam?

2010-02-04T13:01:00.001-05:00

I saw this today. I guess its a good thing to be aware that scamming is possible, though not likely... just be careful.

2010 Census Cautions

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers With the U.S. Census process

beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative,

but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first

phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying

the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000

U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather

information about every person living at each address including name, age,

gender, race, and other relevant data. The big question is- how do you tell the

difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

• If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge , a

handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag , and a confidentiality notice .

• Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions.

However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.

• Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address

informatio n. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking

information to anyone , even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a

salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card

numbers nor will employees solicit donations.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person

at home. However, they will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout

for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any

attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Herodotus and the Summary I Wish I Had

2010-01-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

My history professor had us read this piece of lit by Herodotus called "The Histories", and I desperately wished that someone had blogged a summary on it so I did not have to suffer all of those pages of confusion...
So anyway, I'm posting The Histories and my summary at the bottom. Hope it saves you. At least a little... it's not wonderful by any stretch.

1.29] When all these conquests had been added to the Lydian empire, and the prosperity of Sardis was now at its height, there came thither, one after another, all the sages of Greece living at the time, and among them Solon, the Athenian. He was on his travels, having left Athens to be absent ten years, under the pretence of wishing to see the world, but really to avoid being forced to repeal any of the laws which, at the request of the Athenians, he had made for them. Without his sanction the Athenians could not repeal them, as they had bound themselves under a heavy curse to be governed for ten years by the laws which should be imposed on them by Solon.

[1.30] On this account, as well as to see the world, Solon set out upon his travels, in the course of which he went to Egypt to the court of Amasis, and also came on a visit to Croesus at Sardis. Croesus received him as his guest, and lodged him in the royal palace. On the third or fourth day after, he bade his servants conduct Solon. over his treasuries, and show him all their greatness and magnificence. When he had seen them all, and, so far as time allowed, inspected them, Croesus addressed this question to him. "Stranger of Athens, we have heard much of thy wisdom and of thy travels through many lands, from love of knowledge and a wish to see the world. I am curious therefore to inquire of thee, whom, of all the men that thou hast seen, thou deemest the most happy?" This he asked because he thought himself the happiest of mortals: but Solon answered him without flattery, according to his true sentiments, "Tellus of Athens, sire." Full of astonishment at what he heard, Croesus demanded sharply, "And wherefore dost thou deem Tellus happiest?" To which the other replied, "First, because his country was flourishing in his days, and he himself had sons both beautiful and good, and he lived to see children born to each of them, and these children all grew up; and further because, after a life spent in what our people look upon as comfort, his end was surpassingly glorious. In a battle between the Athenians and their neighbours near Eleusis, he came to the assistance of his countrymen, routed the foe, and died upon the field most gallantly. The Athenians gave him a public funeral on the spot where he fell, and paid him the highest honours."

[1.31] Thus did Solon admonish Croesus by the example of Tellus, enumerating the manifold particulars of his happiness. When he had ended, Croesus inquired a second time, who after Tellus seemed to him the happiest, expecting that at any rate, he would be given the second place. "Cleobis and Bito," Solon answered; "they were of Argive race; their fortune was enough for their wants, and they were besides endowed with so much bodily strength that they had both gained prizes at the Games. Also this tale is told of them:- There was a great festival in honour of the goddess Juno at Argos, to which their mother must needs be taken in a car. Now the oxen did not come home from the field in time: so the youths, fearful of being too late, put the yoke on their own necks, and themselves drew the car in which their mother rode. Five and forty furlongs did they draw her, and stopped before the temple. This deed of theirs was witnessed by the whole assembly of worshippers, and then their life closed in the best possible way. Herein, too, God showed forth most evidently, how much better a thing for man death is than life. For the Argive men, who stood around the car, extolled the vast strength of the youths; and the Argive women extolled the mother who was blessed with such a pair of sons; and the mother herself, overjoyed at the deed and at the praises it had won, standing straight before the image, besought the goddess to bestow on Cleobis and Bito, the sons who had so mightily honoured her, the highest blessing to which mortals can attain. Her prayer ended, they offered sacrifice and partook of the holy banquet, after which the two youths fell asleep in the temple. They never woke more, but so passed from the earth. The Argives, looking on them as among the best of men, caused statues of them to be made, which they gave to the shrine at Delphi."

[1.32] When Solon had thus assigned these youths the second place, Croesus broke in angrily, "What, stranger of Athens, is my happiness, then, so utterly set at nought by thee, that thou dost not even put me on a level with private men?"

"Oh! Croesus," replied the other, "thou askedst a question concerning the condition of man, of one who knows that the power above us is full of jealousy, and fond of troubling our lot. A long life gives one to witness much, and experience much oneself, that one would not choose. Seventy years I regard as the limit of the life of man. In these seventy years are contained, without reckoning intercalary months, twenty-five thousand and two hundred days. Add an intercalary month to every other year, that the seasons may come round at the right time, and there will be, besides the seventy years, thirty-five such months, making an addition of one thousand and fifty days. The whole number of the days contained in the seventy years will thus be twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty, whereof not one but will produce events unlike the rest. Hence man is wholly accident. For thyself, oh! Croesus, I see that thou art wonderfully rich, and art the lord of many nations; but with respect to that whereon thou questionest me, I have no answer to give, until I hear that thou hast closed thy life happily. For assuredly he who possesses great store of riches is no nearer happiness than he who has what suffices for his daily needs, unless it so hap that luck attend upon him, and so he continue in the enjoyment of all his good things to the end of life. For many of the wealthiest men have been unfavoured of fortune, and many whose means were moderate have had excellent luck. Men of the former class excel those of the latter but in two respects; these last excel the former in many. The wealthy man is better able to content his desires, and to bear up against a sudden buffet of calamity. The other has less ability to withstand these evils (from which, however, his good luck keeps him clear), but he enjoys all these following blessings: he is whole of limb, a stranger to disease, free from misfortune, happy in his children, and comely to look upon. If, in addition to all this, he end his life well, he is of a truth the man of whom thou art in search, the man who may rightly be termed happy. Call him, however, until he die, not happy but fortunate. Scarcely, indeed, can any man unite all these advantages: as there is no country which contains within it all that it needs, but each, while it possesses some things, lacks others, and the best country is that which contains the most; so no single human being is complete in every respect - something is always lacking. He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is, in my judgment, entitled to bear the name of 'happy.' But in every matter it behoves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin."

[1.33] Such was the speech which Solon addressed to Croesus, a speech which brought him neither largess nor honour. The king saw him depart with much indifference, since he thought that a man must be an arrant fool who made no account of present good, but bade men always wait and mark the end. [1.74] Afterwards, on the refusal of Alyattes to give up his suppliants when Cyaxares sent to demand them of him, war broke out between the Lydians and the Medes, and continued for five years, with various success. In the course of it the Medes gained many victories over the Lydians, and the Lydians also gained many victories over the Medes. Among their other battles there was one night engagement. As, however, the balance had not inclined in favour of either nation, another combat took place in the sixth year, in the course of which, just as the battle was growing warm, day was on a sudden changed into night. This event had been foretold by Thales, the Milesian, who forewarned the Ionians of it, fixing for it the very year in which it actually took place. The Medes and Lydians, when they observed the change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on. Syennesis of Cilicia, and Labynetus of Babylon, were the persons who mediated between the parties, who hastened the taking of the oaths, and brought about the exchange of espousals. It was they who advised that Alyattes should give his daughter Aryenis in marriage to Astyages, the son of Cyaxares, knowing, as they did, that without some sure bond of strong necessity, there is wont to be but little security in men's covenants. Oaths are taken by these people in the same way as by the Greeks, except that they make a slight flesh wound in their arms, from which each sucks a portion of the other's blood.

[1.75] Cyrus had captured this Astyages, who was his mother's father, and kept him prisoner, for a reason which I shall bring forward in another of my history. This capture formed the ground of quarrel between Cyrus and Croesus, in consequence of which Croesus sent his servants to ask the oracle if he should attack the Persians; and when an evasive answer came, fancying it to be in his favour, carried his arms into the Persian territory. When he reached the river Halys, he transported his army across it, as I maintain, by the bridges which exist there at the present day; but, according to the general belief of the Greeks, by the aid of Thales the Milesian. The tale is that Croesus was in doubt how he should get his army across, as the bridges were not made at that time, and that Thales, who happened to be in the camp, divided the stream and caused it to flow on both sides of the army instead of on the left only. This he effected thus:- Beginning some distance above the camp, he dug a deep channel, which he brought round in a semicircle, so that it might pass to rearward of the camp; and that thus the river, diverted from its natural course into the new channel at the point where this left the stream, might flow by the station of the army, and afterwards fall again into the ancient bed. In this way the river was split into two streams, which were both easily fordable. It is said by some that the water was entirely drained off from the natural bed of the river. But I am of a different opinion; for I do not see how, in that case, they could have crossed it on their return.

[5.49] Cleomenes, however, was still king when Aristagoras, tyrant of Miletus, reached Sparta. At their interview, Aristagoras, according to the report of the Lacedaemonians, produced a bronze tablet, whereupon the whole circuit of the earth was engraved, with all its seas and rivers. Discourse began between the two; and Aristagoras addressed the Spartan king in these words following:- "Think it not strange, O King Cleomenes, that I have been at the pains to sail hither; for the posture of affairs, which I will now recount unto thee, made it fitting. Shame and grief is it indeed to none so much as to us, that the sons of the Ionians should have lost their freedom, and come to be the slaves of others; but yet it touches you likewise, O Spartans, beyond the rest of the Greeks, inasmuch as the pre-eminence over all Greece appertains to you. We beseech you, therefore, by the common gods of the Grecians, deliver the Ionians, who are your own kinsmen, from slavery. Truly the task is not difficult; for the barbarians are an unwarlike people; and you are the best and bravest warriors in the whole world. Their mode of fighting is the following:- they use bows and arrows and a short spear; they wear trousers in the field, and cover their heads with turbans. So easy are they to vanquish! Know too that the dwellers in these parts have more good things than all the rest of the world put together - gold, and silver, and brass, and embroidered garments, beasts of burthen, and bond-servants - all which, if you only wish it, you may soon have for your own. The nations border on one another, in the order which I will now explain. Next to these Ionians" (here he pointed with his finger to the map of the world which was engraved upon the tablet that he had brought with him) "these Lydians dwell; their soil is fertile, and few people are so rich in silver. Next to them," he continued, "come these Phrygians, who have more flocks and herds than any race that I know, and more plentiful harvests. On them border the Cappadocians, whom we Greeks know by the name of Syrians: they are neighbours to the Cilicians, who extend all the way to this sea, where Cyprus (the island which you see here) lies. The Cilicians pay the king a yearly tribute of five hundred talents. Next to them come the Armenians, who live here - they too have numerous flocks and herds. After them come the Matieni, inhabiting this country; then Cissia, this province, where you see the river Choaspes marked, and likewise the town Susa upon its banks, where the Great King holds his court, and where the treasuries are in which his wealth is stored. Once masters of this city, you may be bold to vie with Jove himself for riches. In the wars which ye wage with your rivals of Messenia, with them of Argos likewise and of Arcadia, about paltry boundaries and strips of land not so remarkably good, ye contend with those who have no gold, nor silver even, which often give men heart to fight and die. Must ye wage such wars, and when ye might so easily be lords of Asia, will ye decide otherwise?" Thus spoke Aristagoras; and Cleomenes replied to him, - "Milesian stranger, three days hence I will give thee an answer."

[5.50] So they proceeded no further at that time. When, however, the day appointed for the answer came, and the two once more met, Cleomenes asked Aristagoras, "how many days' journey it was from the sea of the Ionians to the king's residence?" Hereupon Aristagoras, who had managed the rest so cleverly, and succeeded in deceiving the king, tripped in his speech and blundered; for instead of concealing the truth, as he ought to have done if he wanted to induce the Spartans to cross into Asia, he said plainly that it was a journey of three months. Cleomenes caught at the words, and, preventing Aristagoras from finishing what he had begun to say concerning the road, addressed him thus:- "Milesian stranger, quit Sparta before sunset. This is no good proposal that thou makest to the Lacedaemonians, to conduct them a distance of three months' journey from the sea." When he had thus spoken, Cleomenes went to his home.

[5.51] But Aristagoras took an olive-bough in his hand, and hastened to the king's house, where he was admitted by reason of his suppliant's pliant's guise. Gorgo, the daughter of Cleomenes, and his only child, a girl of about eight or nine years of age, happened to be there, standing by her father's side. Aristagoras, seeing her, requested Cleomenes to send her out of the room before he began to speak with him; but Cleomenes told him to say on, and not mind the child. So Aristagoras began with a promise of ten talents if the king would grant him his request, and when Cleomenes shook his head, continued to raise his offer till it reached fifty talents; whereupon the child spoke:- "Father," she said, "get up and go, or the stranger will certainly corrupt thee." Then Cleomenes, pleased at the warning of his child, withdrew and went into another room. Aristagoras quitted Sparta for good, not being able to discourse any more concerning the road which led up to the king.

[5.58] Now the Phoenicians who came with Cadmus, and to whom the Gephyraei belonged, introduced into Greece upon their arrival a great variety of arts, among the rest that of writing, whereof the Greeks till then had, as I think, been ignorant. And originally they shaped their letters exactly like all the other Phoenicians, but afterwards, in course of time, they changed by degrees their language, and together with it the form likewise of their characters. Now the Greeks who dwelt about those parts at that time were chiefly the Ionians. The Phoenician letters were accordingly adopted by them, but with some variation in the shape of a few, and so they arrived at the present use, still calling the letters Phoenician, as justice required, after the name of those who were the first to introduce them into Greece. Paper rolls also were called from of old "parchments" by the Ionians, because formerly when paper was scarce they used, instead, the skins of sheep and goats - on which material many of the barbarians are even now wont to write.

[5.66] The power of Athens had been great before; but, now that the tyrants were gone, it became greater than ever. The chief authority was lodged with two persons, Clisthenes, of the family of the Alcmaeonids, who is said to have been the persuader of the Pythoness, and Isagoras, the son of Tisander, who belonged to a noble house, but whose pedigree I am not able to trace further. Howbeit his kinsmen offer sacrifice to the Carian Jupiter. These two men strove together for the mastery; and Clisthenes, finding himself the weaker, called to his aid the common people. Hereupon, instead of the four tribes among which the Athenians had been divided hitherto, Clisthenes made ten tribes, and parcelled out the Athenians among them. He likewise changed the names of the tribes; for whereas they had till now been called after Geleon, Aegicores, Argades, and Hoples, the four sons of Ion, Clisthenes set these names aside, and called his tribes after certain other heroes, all of whom were native, except Ajax. Ajax was associated because, although a foreigner, he was a neighbour and an ally of Athens.

[5.67] My belief is that in acting thus he did but imitate his maternal grandfather, Clisthenes, king of Sicyon. This king, when he was at war with Argos, put an end to the contests of the rhapsodists at Sicyon, because in the Homeric poems Argos and the Argives were so constantly the theme of song. He likewise conceived the wish to drive Adrastus, the son of Talaus, out of his country, seeing that he was an Argive hero. For Adrastus had a shrine at Sicyon, which yet stands in the market-place of the town. Clisthenes therefore went to Delphi, and asked the oracle if he might expel Adrastus. To this the Pythoness is reported to have answered - "Adrastus is the Sicyonians' king, but thou art only a robber." So when the god would not grant his request, he went home and began to think how he might contrive to make Adrastus withdraw of his own accord. After a while he hit upon a plan which he thought would succeed. He sent envoys to Thebes in Boeotia, and informed the Thebans that he wished to bring Melanippus, the son of Astacus, to Sicyon. The Thebans consenting, Clisthenes carried Melanippus back with him, assigned him a precinct within the government-house, and built him a shrine there in the safest and strongest part. The reason for his so doing (which I must not forbear to mention) was because Melanippus was Adrastus' great enemy, having slain both his brother Mecistes and his son-in-law Tydeus. Clisthenes, after assigning the precinct to Melanippus, took away from Adrastus the sacrifices and festivals wherewith he had till then been honoured, and transferred them to his adversary. Hitherto the Sicyonians had paid extraordinary honours to Adrastus, because the country had belonged to Polybus, and Adrastus was Polybus' daughter's son; whence it came to pass that Polybus, dying childless, left Adrastus his kingdom. Besides other ceremonies, it had been their wont to honour Adrastus with tragic choruses, which they assigned to him rather than Bacchus, on account of his calamities. Clisthenes now gave the choruses to Bacchus, transferring to Melanippus the rest of the sacred rites.

[5.68] Such were his doings in the matter of Adrastus. With respect to the Dorian tribes, not choosing the Sicyonians to have the same tribes as the Argives, he changed all the old names for new ones; and here he took special occasion to mock the Sicyonians, for he drew his new names from the words "pig," and "ass," adding thereto the usual tribe-endings; only in the case of his own tribe he did nothing of the sort, but gave them a name drawn from his own kingly office. For he called his own tribe the Archelai, or Rulers, while the others he named Hyatae, or Pig-folk, Oneatae, or Assfolk, and Choereatae, or Swine-folk. The Sicyonians kept these names, not only during the reign of Clisthenes, but even after his death, by the space of sixty years: then, however, they took counsel together, and changed to the well-known names of Hyllaeans, Pamphylians, and Dymanatae, taking at the same time, as a fourth name, the title of Aegialeans, from Aegialeus the son of Adrastus.

[5.69] Thus had Clisthenes the Sicyonian done. The Athenian Clisthenes, who was grandson by the mother's side of the other, and had been named after him, resolved, from contempt (as I believe) of the Ionians, that his tribes should not be the same as theirs; and so followed the pattern set him by his namesake of Sicyon. Having brought entirely over to his own side the common people of Athens, whom he had before disdained, he gave all the tribes new names, and made the number greater than formerly; instead of the four phylarchs he established ten; he likewise placed ten demes in each of the tribes; and he was, now that the common people took his part, very much more powerful than his adversaries.

[5.70] Isagoras in his turn lost ground; and therefore, to counter-plot his enemy, he called in Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian, who had already, at the time when he was besieging the Pisistratidae, made a contract of friendship with him. A charge is even brought against Cleomenes that he was on terms of too great familiarity with Isagoras's wife. At this time the first thing that he did was to send a herald and require that Clisthenes, and a large number of Athenians besides, whom he called "The Accursed," should leave Athens. This message he sent at the suggestion of Isagoras: for in the affair referred to, the blood-guiltiness lay on the Alcmaeonidae and their partisans, while he and his friends were quite clear of it.

[5.71] The way in which "The Accursed" at Athens got their name, was the following. There was a certain Athenian called Cylon, a victor at the Olympic Games, who aspired to the sovereignty, and aided by a number of his companions, who were of the same age with himself, made an attempt to seize the citadel. But the attack failed; and Cylon became a suppliant at the image. Hereupon the Heads of the Naucraries, who at that time bore rule in Athens, induced the fugitives to remove by a promise to spare their lives. Nevertheless they were all slain; and the blame was laid on the Alcmaeonidae. All this happened before the time of Pisistratus.

[5.72] When the message of Cleomenes arrived, requiring Clisthenes and "The Accursed" to quit the city, Clisthenes departed of his own accord. Cleomenes, however, notwithstanding his departure, came to Athens, with a small band of followers; and on his arrival sent into banishment seven hundred Athenian families, which were pointed out to him by Isagoras. Succeeding here, he next endeavoured to dissolve the council, and to put the government into the hands of three hundred of the partisans of that leader. But the council resisted, and refused to obey his orders; whereupon Cleomenes, Isagoras, and their followers took possession of the citadel. Here they were attacked by the rest of the Athenians, who took the side of the council, and were besieged for the space of two days: on the third day they accepted terms, being allowed - at least such of them as were Lacedaemonians - to quit the country. And so the word which came to Cleomenes received its fulfilment. For when he first went up into the citadel, meaning to seize it, just as he was entering the sanctuary of the goddess, in order to question her, the priestess arose from her throne, before he had passed the doors, and said - "Stranger from Lacedaemon, depart hence, and presume not to enter the holy place - it is not lawful for a Dorian to set foot there." But he answered, "Oh! woman, I am not a Dorian, but an Achaean." Slighting this warning, Cleomenes made his attempt, and so he was forced to retire, together with his Lacedaemonians. The rest were cast into prison by the Athenians, and condemned to die - among them Timasitheus the Delphian, of whose prowess and courage I have great things which I could tell.

[5.73] So these men died in prison. The Athenians directly afterwards recalled Clisthenes, and the seven hundred families which Cleomenes had driven out; and, further, they sent envoys to Sardis, to make an alliance with the Persians, for they knew that war would follow with Cleomenes and the Lacedaemonians. When the ambassadors reached Sardis and delivered their message, Artaphernes, son of Hystaspes, who was at that time governor of the Place, inquired of them "who they were, and in what part of the world they dwelt, that they wanted to become allies of the Persians?" The messengers told him; upon which he answered them shortly - that "if the Athenians chose to give earth and water to King Darius, he would conclude an alliance with them; but if not, they might go home again." After consulting together, the envoys, anxious to form the alliance, accepted the terms; but on their return to Athens, they fell into deep disgrace on account of their compliance.

[5.74] Meanwhile Cleomenes, who considered himself to have been insulted by the Athenians both in word and deed, was drawing a force together from all parts of the Peloponnese, without informing any one of his object; which was to revenge himself on the Athenians, and to establish Isagoras, who had escaped with him from the citadel, as despot of Athens. Accordingly, with a large army, he invaded the district of Eleusis, while the Boeotians, who had concerted measures with him, took Oenoe and Hysiae, two country towns upon the frontier; and at the same time the Chalcideans, on another side, plundered divers places in Attica. The Athenians, notwithstanding that danger threatened them from every quarter, put off all thought of the Boeotians and Chalcideans till a future time, and marched against the Peloponnesians, who were at Eleusis.

[5.75] As the two hosts were about to engage, first of all the Corinthians, bethinking themselves that they were perpetrating a wrong, changed their minds, and drew off from the main army. Then Demaratus, son of Ariston, who was himself king of Sparta and joint-leader of the expedition, and who till now had had no sort of quarrel with Cleomenes, followed their example. On account of this rupture between the kings, a law was passed at Sparta, forbidding both monarchs to go out together with the army, as had been the custom hitherto. The law also provided, that, as one of the kings was to be left behind, one of the Tyndaridae should also remain at home; whereas hitherto both had accompanied the expeditions, as auxiliaries. So when the rest of the allies saw that the Lacedaemonian kings were not of one mind, and that the Corinthian troops had quitted their post, they likewise drew off and departed.

[5.76] This was the fourth time that the Dorians had invaded Attica: twice they came as enemies, and twice they came to do good service to the Athenian people. Their first invasion took place at the period when they founded Megara, and is rightly placed in the reign of Codrus at Athens; the second and third occasions were when they came from Sparta to drive out the Pisistratidae; the fourth was the present attack, when Cleomenes, at the head of a Peloponnesian army, entered at Eleusis. Thus the Dorians had now four times invaded Attica.

[5.77] So when the Spartan army had broken up from its quarters thus ingloriously, the Athenians, wishing to revenge themselves, marched first against the Chalcideans. The Boeotians, however, advancing to the aid of the latter as far as the Euripus, the Athenians thought it best to attack them first. A battle was fought accordingly; and the Athenians gained a very complete victory, killing a vast number of the enemy, and taking seven hundred of them alive. After this, on the very same day, they crossed into Euboea, and engaged the Chalcideans with the like success; whereupon they left four thousand settlers upon the lands of the Hippobotae, - which is the name the Chalcideans give to their rich men. All the Chalcidean prisoners whom they took were put in irons, and kept for a long time in close confinement, as likewise were the Boeotians, until the ransom asked for them was paid; and this the Athenians fixed at two minae the man. The chains wherewith they were fettered the Athenians suspended in their citadel; where they were still to be seen in my day, hanging against the wall scorched by the Median flames, opposite the chapel which faces the west. The Athenians made an offering of the tenth part of the ransom-money: and expended it on the brazen chariot drawn by four steeds, which stands on the left hand immediately that one enters the gateway of the citadel. The inscription runs as follows:-

When Chalcis and Boeotia dared her might,

Athens subdued their pride in valorous fight;

Gave bonds for insults; and, the ransom paid,

From the full tenths these steeds for Pallas made.

[5.97] The Athenians had come to this decision, and were already in bad odour with the Persians, when Aristagoras the Milesian, dismissed from Sparta by Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian, arrived at Athens. He knew that, after Sparta, Athens was the most powerful of the Grecian states. Accordingly he appeared before the people, and, as he had done at Sparta, spoke to them of the good things which there were in Asia, and of the Persian mode of fight - how they used neither shield nor spear, and were very easy to conquer. All this he urged, and reminded them also that Miletus was a colony from Athens, and therefore ought to receive their succour, since they were so powerful - and in the earnestness of his entreaties, he cared little what he promised - till, at the last, he prevailed and won them over. It seems indeed to be easier to deceive a multitude than one man - for Aristagoras, though he failed to impose on Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian, succeeded with the Athenians, who were thirty thousand. Won by his persuasions, they voted that twenty ships should be sent to the aid of the Ionians, under the command of Melanthius, one of the citizens, a man of mark in every way. These ships were the beginning of mischief both to the Greeks and to the barbarians.

[5.99] The Athenians now arrived with a fleet of twenty sail, and brought also in their company five triremes of the Eretrians; which had joined the expedition, not so much out of goodwill towards Athens, as to pay a debt which they already owed to the people of Miletus. For in the old war between the Chalcideans and Eretrians, the Milesians fought on the Eretrian side throughout, while the Chalcideans had the help of the Samian people. Aristagoras, on their arrival, assembled the rest of his allies, and proceeded to attack Sardis, not however leading the army in person, but appointing to the command his own brother Charopinus and Hermophantus, one of the citizens, while he himself remained behind in Miletus.

[5.100] The Ionians sailed with this fleet to Ephesus, and, leaving their ships at Coressus in the Ephesian territory, took guides from the city, and went up the country with a great host. They marched along the course of the river Cayster, and, crossing over the ridge of Tmolus, came down upon Sardis and took it, no man opposing them; - the whole city fell into their hands, except only the citadel, which Artaphernes defended in person, having with him no contemptible force.

[5.101] Though, however, they took the city, they did not succeed in plundering it; for, as the houses in Sardis were most of them built of reeds, and even the few which were of brick had a reed thatching for their roof, one of them was no sooner fired by a soldier than the flames ran speedily from house to house, and spread over the whole place. As the fire raged, the Lydians and such Persians as were in the city, inclosed on every side by the flames, which had seized all the skirts of the town, and finding themselves unable to get out, came in crowds into the market-place, and gathered themselves upon the banks of the Pactolus This stream, which comes down from Mount Tmolus, and brings the Sardians a quantity of gold-dust, runs directly through the market place of Sardis, and joins the Hermus, before that river reaches the sea. So the Lydians and Persians, brought together in this way in the market-place and about the Pactolus, were forced to stand on their defence; and the Ionians, when they saw the enemy in part resisting, in part pouring towards them in dense crowds, took fright, and drawing off to the ridge which is called Tmolus when night came, went back to their ships.

Now that you all have ENJOYED that... here's my summary:

Herodotus’ The Histories opens with Solon, the Athenian. He records Aristagoras’ departure from Sparta after the daughter of Cleomenes warned the king to leave. He recounts how the power of Athens grew when the dictators were done away with. “The Accursed” of Athens are explained in The Histories. “The Athenians had come to this decision, and were already in bad odour with the Persians, when Aristagoras the Milesian, dismissed from Sparta by Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian, arrived at Athens (5.97)”. Athens, after Sparta, was the most powerful civilization in all of Greece.

All I can say is... thanks GOD my history teacher doesn't grade my English... I get enough of that in lit class for a lifetime.

51, 143, 392 and Counting

2010-01-22T13:23:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 37th Anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade controversy. I really don't have much to say today, other than encourage my fellow pro-life advocates to continue praying for a change in our government policy on abortion.

The title of this post is '51, 143, 392 and Counting'. That's how many babies have been murdered via abortion between 1973 and 2009.

"Who will hear the cries of these preborn children? Who will be their voice? Who will mourn their deaths?" -http://www.prolifememorialday.com/

I will. I will mourn for them. I will stand up against abortion. I will remember and never forget. I will speak for them. I am speaking for them.

"Morality becomes hypocrisy if it means accepting mothers suffering or dying in connection with unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions - and unwanted children living in misery” -Anonymous

"I do not believe in abortion at will. I do not believe that if a woman just wants to have an abortion she should... I do believe if you have an abortion you are committing murder.” -Nancy Reagan

"The product, abortion, is skillfully marketed and sold to the woman at the crisis time in her life. She buys the product, finds it defective and wants to return it for a refund. But, it's too late.” -Carol Everett

"Too many people use abortion as a form of birth control. And that's very wrong. I could never, ever have an abortion.” -Brooke Shields

"Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life.” -Potter Stewart

"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.” -Mother Theresa

"The freedom that women were supposed to have found in the Sixties largely boiled down to easy contraception and abortion; things to make life easier for men, in fact.” -Julie Burchill

"After tens of millions of [abortion] 'procedures,' has America lost anything? Another Edison, perhaps? A Gershwin? A Babe Ruth? A Duke Ellington? … As it is, we will never know what abortion has cost us all.” -Joseph Sobran

So I pose this question: what if one of those 51, 143, 392+ babies was the oncologist who found the cure for cancer? What if one of them was the first woman president? What if one of them was the next athlete to beat Michael Phelp's record of gold metals? Would it be a singer? Would it be a pilot? Would it be a pastor? Would it be a scholar? Or will it be aborted and no one would ever know how it could change the world?

Haiti

2010-01-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

Pray for Haiti.

Best Nicoderm Commercials. Ever. Period.

2010-01-06T15:51:00.000-05:00

So I'm chilling on youtube, right? I'm just looking around, messing with my profile that desperately needs updating, and I come across my old Vlog. Nicoderm Commercials. DUNDUNDUHHHHH!
I thought I'd post them here. They are so priceless. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

I think the bottom line here, the moral of the story, is this, kids: either don't smoke, or don't be a flight attendant. Either way.

CHICKEN OR FISH?!

If Today Was Your Last Day... Would You Live Like You're Dying?

2010-01-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today I attended a friend's funeral- my first funeral, to be honest. It's a funny thing, too. I tend to be happy at funerals, because I know the dearly departed has been relieved of misery.

After listening to all the comments and testomonies and stories people gave about Taylor (dearly departed), I started thinking. What are people going to say at my funeral? What will people remember the most about me when I'm gone? What will I be remembered for, or will I simply dissapear from people's memories? Will there be anyone at my funeral?

In Taylor's case, an estimated 200 people showed up to comfort her family and friends. She's going to be missed.

Anyway, I thought I'd post two popular songs and their music videos for you guys. Seriously now. If today was really your last day, and you didn't know it, would you be living like you're dying? Or would you live like you're dying only if you knew today was your last day? I, personally, want to live by the first case scenario.

“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.” -Anonymous

If Today Was Your Last Day
Nickleback

Live Like We're Dying
Kris Allen

REVOKED!

2010-01-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

So I'm definately dating the most wonderful guy in the entire world, and I love him to death, but I have totally revoked his Man Card. 'Man Card?' you may ask. Yes. Man Card. It's a card that holds your manhood. And why would I revoke it? Try this definition of Man Card Violation on for size:

1. Any action that implies effeminate, unmanly behavior or characteristics as opposed to sterotypical masculine ones.

Well, let's just say that Patrick (boyfriend) has ridden my horse with me, possibly watched a chick flick, possibly done various other unmanly things, leaving him to the mercy of none other than myself! And so I revoked his Man Card. I keep it in my wallet and, should we ever break up, I will return it to him. Otherwise, it's all mine. I don't mind him not having to be 100% manly!

For your enjoyment, I have posted the following template of a Man Card. I removed the original name and wrote in "Patrick" in the blank. You can do this by Right Click>Save Target As>Chose Folder>Save then find the picture. Right Click>Open With...>Paint>A>drag edges around name to white it out>Type name.

Fun Stuff!

Hey Lucy, I Remember Your Name

2010-01-04T09:03:00.000-05:00

Well I pray you had a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! Can you believe it is 2010? I can't. I've decided not to call this year '10' but '010'. Like 'Oh-ten'. To me, it sounds naked without an '0', you know? 07, 08, 09. 010.

Anyway, I have been in Lynchburg, VA at a huge concert over New Years. Skillet played at midnight, and I have to say, it was one of the most incredible times I have ever had with 8,000 people crammed in a stadium.

After that, I was asked to post their most touching song from their new album, Awake. It's called "Lucy".

This song portrays a sad man greiving the loss of a girl named Lucy, may it be a lover, a daughter, a sister, a friend. John Cooper, lead singer, song writer and bassist for Skillet, claims he left this song open-ended so that listeners can fill in their own meaning. Within the first two minutes of this beautiful song, I had concocted about a zillion different meanings, but only one that was close to my own heart. Below I've posted the video with lyrics, as Skillet never made an official video for it. Enjoy, and if you feel inclined to do so, post your version of "Lucy"'s meaning in the comment box.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T12:21:00.000-05:00

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day and enjoy it! I probably won't blog until after the New Years, as I'm headed off to Virginia for vacation. In that case, Happy New Year! Make the most of 2010. The way you start the first day of the year is the way you spend the entire year. I plan to be on horseback.
Au Revoir!

The Boat Launching

2009-12-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

I got this e-mail last night and I found it quite amusing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I. Don't scroll to the picture until you finish the caption.

This was this guy's first boat and he was taking it to the lake, but he wasn't quite sure of the correct procedure for launching a boat off a ramp. However, he figured it couldn't be that difficult to do, so he stopped by his Union office for advice, and they just told him... "Don't let the trailer get too deep in the water when you're launching your boat". Well later on, he couldn't understand what they meant by that, as he just could barely get his trailer in the water. Here's a picture worth a "thousand' words! Some people shouldn't be allowed to get married, have children or vote.

Sticker on back glass of his truck explains everything.

The Best and Worst Movies of 2009

2009-12-18T11:52:00.002-05:00

Break is here! I will finally have more time to blog throughout the next two weeks as I build my college transcript with volunteer activities, studying for semester finals, and picking up some extra work hours. Considering that 2009 is almost gone, and many people have begun to believe that the Mayan's were correct and we only have two more years left, I thought I'd run quickly through the horrid and the lovely movies of this year. I'll post a picture, short review, and a rating of 1-5 stars, along with either "don't miss it, good, okay, bad, horrid". Let's start with movies.

MOVIES:

2012

I truly enjoyed this movie. If you enjoy action, thrill, and even some comedy, you will greatly enjoy 2012! It was well made, with good sound effects, lots of explosions, a few profanities, but it was all-around fascinating.
Rating: 5 stars, don't miss it

Brüno

This film is simply pitiful. Filled with profanity, sexuality, crude behavior, and simply nasty plot lines, this is certainly not a family film, and I would not recomend it to anyone. Please. Spare yourselves. I found it simply disgusting. Rating: 1 star, horrid

Star Trek

I thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek, and I believe Zachary Quinto made a fabulous Mr. Spock. The characters matched wonderfully to the old cast, and this new adventure made me hang off the edge of my seat in excitement. Recomended for thrill-lovers and action addicts! Rating: 5, don't miss it.

This film exhibited fabulous animation. I was actually quite pleasantly suprised by Up, in that it did hold some memorable lines which I still quote. I laughed quite a good bit in this movie, and I would recomend it to those who enjoy Pixar animation. Not my favorite film of the year, but still cute. Rating: 4 stars, good

New Moon

It's Twilight! What can I say? It was the Saga to the original Twilight film, and if you liked number one, you're bound to like number two. It follows the book quite closely, except for an unexpected small twist. I'm not one for Twilight, but I was impressed with effects. That acting of Jacob (Taylor Lautner) stunned me and made up for Bella's (Kristen Stewart) unimpressive job. Rating: 4 stars, okay

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Tyler Perry came out this year with a stunning display of his talent. Once again, he portrayed Madea and Uncle Joe in his newest flick, staring Taraji Hansen as April, the aunt of three homeless children. She's messed up her life big-time, but when Santino comes in, she's able to pick up the pieces. I believe this was Perry's best film yet. You'd be missing out if you don't watch it! Rating: 5, don't miss it

More to come! Next up is books of 2009.

My Simply Craptastic December

2009-12-14T11:25:00.001-05:00

I had spent a few short hours at the barn with the horse on 12/3/09. I had acquired a cough, sneeze, runny nose, and slightly sore throat by the time my friend and I were pumping bass off Lil' Wayne from her old CRV speakers. Friday morning, I woke up feeling perfectly normal. I went to school, wrote the previously posted essay and finished up a few things around the house, considering that the next day was the 'Battle of the Bands' concert we had scheduled for, and I was to MC the entire event.
The next day, my lymphnodes in my throat were so swollen I could barely talk. My nose ran constantly, coughed, sneezed, etc. But I managed to make it thru the whole night. Both Sunday and Monday were normal, but Tuesday I woke up feeling simply fabulous with no voice, the inability to eat or drink, a phlemy cough, snotty sneeze, and the chills. I called my mother, the RN of the family, and begged for some medical advice, considering my entire medical education (such as it is...*ahem* its not like I'm a med school student or anything...) had left me during the night. She blamed it on "post-nasal drip".
By Thursday, the symptoms had tripled in both annoyance and sever pain, and I made an appointment with my doctor. He checked for strep throat, and flu, although I had both the H1N1 shot and the original flu shot already this season, and checked my CBC count. The nurse had to stab me freaking three times before she had enough blood to test me. When she came back and said the doctor wanted to test me for mononeucleosis, I nearly flew off the handle. She kept squeezing... and squeezing... and squeezing... my poor fingers hurt so bad by the time she'd managed to wrestle enough blood out of me. And of course, I got a lecture on the sin of dehydration. Psh! I didn't know that! I'm a stupid redneck, remember? Its not like I have a top-of-the-line education or anything. Jeez.
Yeah, anyway, the doctor told me it was just a virus with flu symptoms.
So these...flu symptoms... have worstened since then, to the point where every sound I hear echoes in both my ears, which really has thrown off my perfect pitch and, for that matter, any other type of musical talent I may have had before.
My local pharmacist informed me that he'd had this same thing not long ago, and it lasted him for two days. What? Two days? Sorry, I said that wrong. It lasted him a freaking three...weeks. SHOOT ME! He warned me to stay medicated, hydrated, and to eat or else it would turn into pneumonia. He handed me this pile of medications I'm supposed to take. Mucinex, Claritin, Tylenol, Ibuprophen and Pseudoephedrine on top of my regular Sertraline. Jeez, I was tempted to take Percocet and get it over with!

<-- this is my countertop.

Anyway, all this to say that this is a common virus going around this winter and it is going to run its course. Force yourself to eat and drink or it will develop into pneumonia. It's long and it's not fun, but take it easy and sleep as much as you can. I got 15 hours last night and don't feel nearly as craptastic as yesterday.
Peace-ez!

The Spiritual Life of King Solomon

2009-12-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

Yet again, I've been screwed over by another Spiritual Life essay and haven't gotten around to posting as much as I'd like. Lousy excuse, right? Ehh, read this (if you can make it thru without falling asleep two sentences in) and it won't seem so lousy anymore.

Heading warnings and exercising wisdom often come with age, but King Solomon learned these traits at a young age. The son of King David of Israel and Bathsheba, he became ruler at a young age but his people soon recognized him for his wise personality. Christians still recognize Solomon as one of the most famous individuals in the Bible. At the beginning of his reign over large Israel, which he inherited from his father, Solomon sought after God incessantly. As time passed, he began to fall gradually away from the godly foundation he grew from. Yet God utilized Solomon to build the Holy Temple, write many warnings for others to heed, and made a biblical example of his destroyed life.
Even before Solomon’s birth, King David eagerly sought to build the Temple of God in Israel. The Lord promised that the next ruler would construct the holy place, and Solomon began building four years and two months into his reign, although David originally drew up the plans. Only the best of stones were used. No iron tool sounded throughout the entire building process. 1 Kings 6: 12-13 explains that the Lord came to young Solomon and said, “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel”. The Lord meant His worship place to turn Israel’s heart away from the idols of other nations. Solomon finished the Holy Temple seven years later, and the Lord was greatly pleased. Through this young King, the First Temple of Israel came into existence, according to God’s plan.
Solomon survived his young life by seeking God. When old age came upon the King, the hundreds of wives he had acquired through the years finally convinced him to forsake the God of Israel. Solomon married them to keep alliances with their nations and allowed the women to worship their own gods. He finally forsook God and began to follow in the path of his fallen wives. As 1Kings 11:4 states, “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God”. Before he turned from the Lord, King Solomon composed approximately 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs in his lifetime. Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, many Proverbs and two Psalms name the young king as author. He poured out his wisdom in the book of Proverbs, which remains a book of warnings for the wise. God used him in this manner to guide many readers in the right direction.
Although King Solomon accomplished many good things in his young years, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord in later life. He began a steady progression of marrying foreign women, most of whom brought their own gods into the relationship. Next, he started to worship their gods as well, and finally, the once-wise king built a temple for a false deity in Israel. King Solomon, one of the most wise men in the history of the world, failed when it came to obeying God. He allowed himself to slip slowly into sin. Meanwhile, God sent prophets alongside him, and also allowed Solomon’s life and reign to be recorded in the book of 1 Kings. He remains an example that sin sneaks up slowly, even on the wisest of people.
Although he disobeyed God in a most blatant manner and despite the fact that the Bible does not record his repentance, Solomon remains a prominent individual of the Scriptures who is well known for his amazing wisdom granted by the Lord, the Temple he constructed and the books he composed. Perhaps his wisdom made him proud. Slowly, Solomon gave into sin, but he continues to be remembered, acknowledged, and possibly even loved for his work in Israel. The Lord certainly managed to use Solomon through the building of His First Temple of Israel, the writing of many scriptures, and God even made an example of the King’s damaged existence. Because of Solomon, Christians have warnings in Proverbs by the wise king. Thanks to Israel’s ruler, Solomon’s empire enjoyed a Holy Temple to worship the Lord in. To this day, King Solomon of Israel remains known as a prominent biblical figure who asked for wisdom over all the riches in the world.

I do think teachers purposefully assign these types of essays in hopes of stealing away a student's younger life...

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly!

2009-12-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La!
Deck the Halls. Its the epic Christmas song because everybody knows it. In fact, most people deck their front lawns, too. Yes, that's what the world has come to.
But the following homeowner has gone above and beyond simply decking the front lawn. He kind of... well, see for yourself!

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Yeah that's pretty hot.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La...Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The Spiritual Life of Joseph

2009-12-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

Considering that I haven't updated my blog much lately because of the belog "Spiritual Journey" essays, I thought I'd post one. See what you think. Here goes my mad attempt at theology!

Throughout its sixty-six books, the Bible documents the varied spiritual journeys of both men and women. Its thousands of pages record accounts of valor, victory over evil and extreme faith. One biblical character in particular portrays all of these traits. His name was Joseph, the son of Jacob. From start to finish, Joseph exemplifies astounding trust in God while being sold into slavery by his own kin, falsely accused of a horrid crime, and enduring jail time while maintaining innocence. God protected and blessed Joseph the entire time while granting him strength to carry on.

Joseph rested in the care of the Lord when even his own family rejected him. Jacob loved his son Joseph so much because he came from the woman Jacob loved the most: Rachel. Joseph’s other brothers, sons of Jacob’s first wife Leah, became extremely jealous. Hatred grew in the hearts of the ten older brothers when Jacob allotted his beloved and favorite son with a brilliant coat of color, as Genesis recounts, “because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him” (Genesis 37:3). Out of bitterness, the ten plotted to kill their brother whom Jacob held in such high esteem. Anger possessed them as they spat their hatred, “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him” (Genesis 37:20). Joseph’s own kin lured him away from Jacob’s home, only to tear his coat away from him, cruelly throw him into a pit, sell the boy off to slave traders from Egypt, and return to their father with that same coat dipped in blood in an attempt to convince Jacob that his beloved Joseph had passed away. Meanwhile, the teenaged boy remained a young captive to the slave traders and followed them back to Egypt, where the Lord provided greatly for His faithful servant.

Even when the situation seemed utterly hopeless, God exercised His power and blessed Joseph in Egypt. Upon their arrival, the slave traders placed Joseph up for sale at the slave market. Potiphar, the captain of the guard under Pharoah, bought the seventeen-year-old boy from the traders. According to the biblical account, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master…Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had” (Genesis 39:2-5). God placed his hedge of protection around Joseph as he worked, and Potiphar noticed this. He promoted Joseph to the head of his household and placed his complete trust in him. At this point in his journey, the Lord blessed Joseph abundantly, but disaster struck once more.

The Lord continued to lavish His favor on His faithful servant, even through the temptation of the enemy and in the darkness of a prison cell. Joseph’s trust in his heavenly Father proved undeniable when temptation disrupted his work in Potiphar’s house. Genesis explains, “After a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’… And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house” (Genesis 39:8-12). Steaming with anger at Joseph’s incompliant actions, Potiphar’s wife devised a story that she recounted to her husband. She claimed that Joseph had tried to assault her, although the opposite was the case. The Bible claims that Potiphar flamed with rage and threw Joseph into the prison. Even so, the Lord blessed Joseph and he quickly became the head of the prison. Years later, one of Pharoah’s servants remembered Joseph’s good work and talent throughout their term in prison. Pharoah called Joseph into his court to serve him, and God granted him the gifts and talents to please the king. Under the divine surveillance and guidance of the Lord, the king of Egypt promoted Joseph to the second-highest rank in the entire country of Egypt.

Because Joseph remained faithful, the Lord blessed his actions and his work. He became empowered by the Holy Spirit to do great things, such as interpreting Pharoah’s dreams, storing up Egyptian crops in preparation for the famine, and moving his family into Egypt in later years. Only with God’s power could that single, humble servant of the Lord save Egypt from certain death by starvation, as well as thousands of others. Joseph knew that the Lord had promised never to leave him and never to forsake him and that trust pulled him trough the hardest of times. He demonstrated extraordinary faith throughout many trials in his life, such as rejection by his brothers, unjustly punished for a crime in which he held no part and his long term in the Egyptian prison. Joseph’s spiritual journey truly revolved around his incredible faith in God’s divine and everlasting protection.

The Challenge

2009-11-30T15:43:00.002-05:00

Billy Graham perscribed America with an amazing prayer. It is one that I can see myself throwing in at times to my public prayers... mostly to throw off my mainly-liberal friends (not) but also to actually beg for God's mercy on our country. Here we go:

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Uhm... I think that pretty much says exactly what I've been trying to say throughout my entire history of blogging in a paragraph. He's good. He hits the nail on the head a lot faster than I can!
I challenge you to pray that last line. I think it is REALLY powerful. If we can come together as His Body and pray that, think of the change on America! Let's make a change.

Absolute Haters

2009-11-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

I'm not quite sure hate is a strong enough word. Websters defines hate as: "a) intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury. b) extreme dislike or antipathy, loathing". For this, I'd rather use the words loathe, despise, detest. Keep that in mind while I use the word hate.

And what is this hate directed at? Who is it from? It's from the Democratic Party. Aimed at none other than Sarah Palin.

Still.

Dems ditched trying to beat her up via media broadcasting after the dispute on her resignation from Alaskan government. Let's look at why 'Americans' hate a true American:
-She's pro-life.
-She's the 'powerful woman' the Dems wanted on their ticket, but instead chose the ever-crazy Joe Biden.
-She's a down-home, humble mother, who supports family and Christianity.
-She has a value system and isn't afraid to defend it.
-She supports her own family thru the perverbial ups and downs of life.
-She's a 'mover' and 'shaker', experimental, but not risky.
-She's successful.
-She's happy.
-She's educated and intelligent.
-She supports small government.
-She's a politician and an author who doesn't have to write constantly on politics.
Basically, she, as Jim Geraghty says, "embodies a sort of comfort with ignorance that they think characterizes most/all conservatives"(*)
I've been watching Greta tonight, who's got Sarah on. The sneek peek included this quote: "Where we are right now is seeing this reversal of those principles of economics. It's okay to acquire debt. Its okay to print money out of thin air. Fundamentally, everyone is the same in America". She's been killing Obama tonight on the stimulous package. Smaller government tax cuts helped the economy in Reagan's day, when they faced a worse economy than we- let's learn from that! Building more government and acquiring more debt doesn't help. Raising heath care costs kill small businesses. Government shouldn't be increasing taxes on 'the rich' who create jobs.

This being said, it's obvious she supports small government. That seems to irritate the heck out of the Democrats. They don't hate her as much as they are scared of her. Obama hasn't done as well as they expected- she's got a huge chance in 2012. It makes me wonder if liberals made the new hit movie 2012... will the world end when Palin leads America? It'll get better. Sorry to stop the drama... but I appear to be rambling. More later.

If you've got something to say, comments, concerns, disagreements, comment. I want to know what YOU think.

*http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/why-some-liberals-hate-sarah-palin.html

OOPS..

2009-11-23T21:25:00.000-05:00

It was then Maggie remembered she had a blog...

Health Care Reform = Health Care Mutilation

2009-11-12T19:04:00.002-05:00

I was driving home from the barn after quick trip to see the horse today and turned on the radio. Strangely, I never listen to News Radio. It’s always music. But today it was News Radio.

Sean Hannity was on taking calls from listeners and one very interesting woman, who said she would claim no political position, began a conversation with him on Health Care Reform.

The House passed the Health Care Reform bill yesterday with a 220-215 vote. When I heard this, I immediately called my father to get his take on this. He was fuming. I asked why he was so surprised. The entire government is democratic, is it not? They’re all donkeys, remember? That’s who our ol’ America voted in to office in 2008 (Thanks, America.). Don’t be too surprised that you might as well just forget about retiring because you’re going to need the cash to pay for medical care. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-M.D.) told AFRO News:

“People have been trying to reform our health care system for over 60 years,and now, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, we will.”

I personally do not back this new so-called “Health Care Reform” bill. In fact, it’s not reforming anything. It’s taking what we’ve got already, demolishing it completely, mutilating the system, putting people out of jobs (especially physicians who own private practices), and making hard-working American citizens, who could afford other healthcare, wait for hours to see a random doctor who they do not know or trust. Why do this while the government could actually REFORM the current system that past officials have worked so hard to build. There’s that “donuthole” idea in Medicare, where patients still have to pay for their own medication at full price. There would be better care for people who can’t afford the private practice.

So back to the lady on Hannity. She was saying the same thing. This woman informed all listeners that she had spoken to her family doctor about this bill, who then said that, within the next few years, she and all other private practice physicians would be out of business because, why pay for healthcare when you can get it free? That is simply a paraphrase of her long conversation with Hannity, but it is a quite good general description of the discussion. Just as Sen. Lindsey Graham said on CBS,

"It was a bill written by liberals for liberals."

And sadly, this is true. The nation is run by then, and therefore, whatever they want will most likely happen. Oh, the power of monopoly.

One last thought-

Hey, Mr. President? What about your promises to ‘make more jobs’? Could you start by letting practicing physicians keep their jobs and private practices? Oh- and why do you so often contradict yourself (See ‘Candidate vs. President’*)?

*Side note on link: if you can't access it from my hyperlink, it is archived under November 2nd, 2009. Sorry that it doesn't work on all computers/internet explorers.

For Comic Relief...
Why AARP Sells Insurance-

Sorry, Seniors!

2009-11-12T18:34:00.001-05:00

Sorry, seniors!

The US can't afford your ailments anymore with all this government spending, so your "End of Life Guidance Counselor" has selected you to participate in an all-expense paid cruise!

Enjoy your cruise!

The coroner's report will list global warming as the cause of death.

Sorry, everyone. I couldn't help myself. It's been a long day and I still can't believe the House passed that stupid healthcare bill...

A Thought To Feed The Thinker

2009-11-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

I was recently looking for new quotes to post on my Myspace, which has been severely neglected, when I came upon an inspiring quote by MLK Jr.

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice."

Inspiring? Excellent? Thought-provoking? CONVICTING?

Uhm, yeah, about that last one... Obama always talks about peace?
I'm thinking the criminals should get out of our government, for a start towards justice, before we can work towards peace. It seems that our country, especially our president, talk constantly about peace. We seek it. We want it. We love it. But we only talk. There is no action. Pulling the troops out of Iraq? That's gonna backfire. Cracking down on rules? That's called socialism. Giving the government more power on the people? That's called communism.

Peace is not any of that.

Again, thanks to all reading my blog. I recently found it amongst my archived web journals, along with my dead livejournal (http://dutchdear.livejournal.com/), butchered Typepad, and various others. I deleted all past posts on here in hopes of a fresh start. Though I cannot update as much as I wish I could, I'll be around! It's gonna get better!

For Your Enjoyment... Or Not?

2009-11-06T17:11:00.001-05:00

Well, it's definately for mine to see your reaction! I need a new bumper sticker for my car, so I looked up "popular bumper stickers"... you should have see the load of Anti-Obama in there.

Une example, s'il vous plaît?

Oh wait, I forgot. SPANISH is the official language of the US. My bad...

Then, of course, there's the good old:

HAH! Speaking of Mexicans... sorry, those of you who work! *shrugs* I guess all those "amigos" aren't giving you such a good stereotype.

And...

PLEASE! Could we put a limit on Congressional terms?! Please, Obama! I beg you! Oh wait... why am I asking a Stalin to throw out his KGB? hah omigosh.

And yes, I do compare Bush to Lenin. That just makes Obama a Stalin. Mwahaha!

Webster's definition of 'Free'...

1. having the legal and political rights of a citizen

2. enjoying civil and political liberty

3. enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination

4. enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another

BAHAHA!

Yeah, I can't wait for tax season. MOST of my money is going to the aforementioned Mexicans.

The Future Of Computers- RollTop Notebook

2009-11-04T12:22:00.001-05:00

Yep, that's right. RollTop Notebook. This is the so-called "near future" of laptops.

And I thought the Apple Macbook Pro was cool...

Candidate vs. President

2009-11-02T12:45:00.001-05:00

In two days, we will have known Obama as President of the USA for one whole year. Election Day 2008 caused much uneasiness for all parties.

Now that we begin our approach to Obama's first anniversary in office in the increasingly near 2010, I have come up with a list of websites giving all of his campeign promises from the 2008 candidacy of Obama and his actual action as president.

Am I the only who, after reviewing these, see President Obama contradicting himself a lot?
Enjoy the ride, folks.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/23/pub-obama-campaign-promises/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

107 Million Short

2009-10-22T11:09:00.001-04:00

"The federal government originally promised 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine by now. Only 13 million have come through"(*), says Fox News on their blog today. This is just another pressing area that the federal government has come short.

The vaccine has an old process to it: innoculating eggs. Robert P. Swiatek and others included researchers claim that "removing at least a portion of said cuticle from said egg; forcing soluble materials with a pump to said egg having said cuticle removed...which allows said shell to remain intact so that said soluble materials pass through said pores into said egg" (**).

And this method was created in 1984. You'd think some of that millions of federal funding could go towards saving our population by updating the H1N1 shot development techniques instead of killing off the population by funding Planned Parenthood. Hmmm...

Let's think about it, Mr. President.

*FOXNews.com, Oct. 22, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569070,00.html
**"Apparatus and method for injecting eggs", http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4928629.html

Taylor Gets Revenge!

2009-10-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

So the whole crap about Kanye West dying? I was waiting to hear CNN blasting that Taylor Swift ran him over with her ex-boyfriend's stupid pick-up truck that he never let her drive. There's revenge for ya.

It was a Twitter hoax. Sorry, Taylor! No revenge today!

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

2009-10-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

According to http://www.usingenglish.com/, this idiom means "When people say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, they mean that the person who complains or protests the loudest attracts attention and service."

That's a pretty good definition, if you think about it. Who gets in the news the most? Obama? Biden? CNN? You guessed it! The liberals! Why? Because they complain the loudest, and so they get all the service.
Here are a few good examples:

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it’s a foreign religion, of course!)

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative slips and falls in a store, he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed. If a liberal slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor and then sues.

Wow, what is the world coming to?

Life Means So Much

2009-10-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Life does mean a lot. And I've noticed this as I study deeper into the Bible and deeper into the matters of the heart. Life is amazing. It's a gift. To quote Mr. Magorium's Wonder Imporium, "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." This is definately a true statement. Chris Rice says the following in his lyrics,

Every day is a journal page. Every man holds a quill and ink. And there's plenty of room for writing in. All we do is believe and think. So will you compose a curse or will today bring the blessing? Fill the page with rhyming verse or some random sketching?
Teach us to count the days. Teach us to make the days count. Lead us in better ways that somehow our souls forgot. Life means so much.
Every day is a bank account. Time is our currency. So nobody's rich, nobody's poor. We get 24 hours each. So how are you gonna spend? Will you invest, or squander? Try to get ahead or help someone who's under?
Has anybody ever lived who knew the value of a life? And don't you think giving is all what proves the worth of yours and mine?
Every day is a gift you've been given. Make the most of the time every minute you're living.

I agree. I've wasted too much time. It's time to get out. Time to move. Time to breathe.

Strangeness

2009-10-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

So how 'bout this?
I have always wanted to be a missionary to Holland, Germany, France, something like that. So suddenly I've been hearing God telling me "SCOTLAND!" and I'm sitting here like... "omg... God? What the hell?".
And my debate teacher decided to take a day of debating to teach about our lives and our callings. Then our church held a missions conference that weekend. And THEN we got TWO MORE debate sessions on our calling.
I'm so pissed. What am I gonna do in Scotland? I want to know.

Hermeneutics

2009-09-24T13:42:00.002-04:00

I've decided that, if there's one class in the world that no one should ever have to take, it's Hermeneutics. Dr. Kauk, my Theology professor, scared our entire class so badly the first day when he explained Hermeneutics to us. I'm not really sure why I need know all about how the Bible should really be translated. We've covered Hebrew translations, Greek translations, LATIN translations...

What happened to Latin being a dead language! Apparantly not. My professor explains things fairely well (for geniuses to understand) but I am NOT a genius nor a Biblical Scholar. And I certainly don't aspire to be one. We had a class on the various translations of the Bible, and that was fine until he began about the Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic stuff, naming off all the different forms of translations, translation history, the two approaches to translation...

How We Got The English Bible
         Autographs (no, not Lil' Wayne's autograph)
         Copies (no, not xerox machines!)
Early Translation History
         Greek Septuagint (200 BC)
         Latin Vulgate (AD 400)
         John Wycliffe (1380)
         William Tyndale (1526)
         Geneva Bible (1560)
         Douai-Rheims (1593)
         Authorized NJV (1611)
The KJV Switch
         Changes in the English Language
                  Updates in language
Two Approaches To Translation
         Formal Equivalence
         Functional Equivalence
Oh well. Looks like I'm graduating a year early anyway.

Slacktivist

2009-09-24T13:30:00.001-04:00

As I have read through Fred Clark's posts on the Left Behind Series over the past few years, I've noticed a striking aspect that he really brings out.

Left Behind is... sexist. Extremely sexist, although I am a feminist. Rayford Steele is an unrelenting, manipulative jerk in the series, along with stupidly forgetful reporter Buck Williams.

Are Left Behind women ALLOWED college degrees?!